Hayley Todesco

Since the age of 10, Hayley has been trying to solve local environmental issues through science fair projects after Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth” ignited her zeal for environmentalism. At the age of 16, this passion led her to tackle the environmental issues surrounding the oil sands in her home province, specifically the oil sands tailings ponds. Through a novel science fair project, she designed an inexpensive set of bioreactors …

High Performance Green Building Program

For more than a decade, the University of Calgary has demonstrated best practices in green building construction in 11 major buildings – occupying more than 1.7 million square feet – across the university campuses. The university has earned LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification for seven projects, and four completed projects are currently pursuing certification. These 11 buildings represent one of the largest concentrations of green buildings on …

Reuse Centre

In 2007, the City of Edmonton opened its Reuse Centre, a drop-off facility for household materials, based on the growing popularity of volunteer-based community Reuse Fairs. The Centre accepts many items not accepted elsewhere, which are made available for purchase by organizations and individuals for a nominal fee. The Centre has grown in popularity, and moved to a larger location in 2014 to accommodate the increase in customers and donations.  …

Green Routine

The Green Routine is an innovative program created by Strathcona County with the goal to maximize waste diversion while inspiring community action. For nearly a decade, the program has aimed to increase waste diversion by focusing on public education and an understanding of the importance of proper waste disposal. This initiative offers several benefits to the economy, quality of life and environmental health of the community. Strathcona County uses community-based …

The Master Naturalist Program

A seven-year wetland monitoring program; a growing network of solitary bee hotels; the multi-year stewardship of Roper Pond Natural Area; the TUNNEL Project (“Toward an Urban Network of Native Edible Landscaping”); the creation of the Edmonton Urban BioKit guide to local biodiversity – these projects are a small sample of the diverse volunteer work undertaken by over 200 Edmontonians who have graduated from the City of Edmonton’s Master Naturalist Program …

The Classroom Energy Diet Challenge

The Classroom Energy Diet Challenge is an educational program designed to increase energy awareness while improving energy literacy of Canadian students from K–12. Created by Canadian Geographic Education and sponsored by Shell Canada, it’s comprised of 25 energy-themed classroom activities that teach students about biodiversity, transportation, carbon footprints and more. Students and teachers actively address energy issues while working within their communities to learn how current renewable energy resources play …

NAIT Alternative Energy Technology Program

NAIT’s Alternative Energy Technology Program was launched in 2011 with the goal of developing highly-skilled, specialized workers to fill roles in Alberta’s nascent renewable energy industry. Graduates are already emerging as leaders in their field, and along with the staff and current students, the program is helping to shape the future of the industry through education, outreach, innovation, and collaboration. The renewable energy industry is at a turning point in …

University-Based Community Service-Learning for the Environment

The University of Alberta’s Augustana campus embraces community service-learning (CSL) to create significant environmental achievements on campus and throughout the Camrose community engagement. As a high-impact learning strategy, the objectives of CSL are to integrate meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities. Of the 2657 CSL placements completed since 2007, 36% had an environmental focus, which supported 67 local …

Johnny Dulku & Kitty Cochrane – Fort McMurray Public School District’s Green Champions

Over Kitty’s 28 years of teaching, she has been dedicated to inspiring students to become caring and capable environmental citizens. She is a four-time provincial winner of the BP A+ for Energy Award, winning multiple grants to help Ecole Dickinsfield School champion environmental stewardship and conservation. She supported Fort McMurray’s Single-Use Bag Ban dressed in 500 plastic bags, encourages Waste Free Lunches, helps student Wormologists tend the school’s 20,000 red …

Creating the Ultimate Environmental Experience

Through their MicroSociety Program, Aspen Heights Elementary School has been diligently working to provide their students with the Ultimate Science Learning Experience. Their Indoor Science Classroom, in conjunction with their Worm Wranglers business venture, has placed an emphasis on recycling and education for their students. Their Bottle Depot is run by their students (K to 5) and is sponsored by the Alberta Bottle Depot Association. Students also take …